Bourbon and Blitz
by LawAndBensler
Summary: What happens after Tucker buys Benson a drink? (S16 - Padre Sandunguero)


"I think you should try to bourbon." He open-mouth smirked at her, still shocked that she seemed to agree. And as he made his way past her to the bar, he swore he saw the corner of her lips lift in a smile.

"Bourbon. Neat." He held up two fingers toward the bartender. Tucker tried desperately to maintain a calm exterior but inside his stomach was in knots. It was no secret that Benson was beautiful, the entire department knew that. What they didn't know was behind his hardass look, he had a hard-on for her. For years.

He slid the drink to his right as she slid into the bar next to him, leaning over the wood onto her forearms.

"I never took you for the bourbon type." She brought the drink to her lips and he couldn't help but watch as she took a sip, the liquid leaving a shine on her plump lips. He wanted to lick it off, taste her mixed with the spicy drink.

"I'm not," she coughed, clearly taken back by the burn. "But for you, I guess I can make an exception." Her words were unexpected and if he didn't know better, she actually seemed to be flirting with him.

He stood there dumbfounded at the possibility that she would ever be remotely interested in flirting with him. A minute passed before he realized he was never responded to her, but hell, he wanted to keep her talking. "How's Noah?" _Good move, Tucker, use the kid, everyone likes to talk about their kids._

It worked, her eyes lit up instantly. "He's amazing. Growing like a weed."

"That's great." He was genuinely happy for her. In the years he had known her, even from a distance, he had never seen her so happy as when Noah was brought into her life.

"How's umm…" She hesitated, taking another small sip of her drink in the process. "How's IAB? It feels weird asking that." She focused on the wood of the bar, tracing the grains with her fingertip.

"Liv—"

"It's Sergeant Benson." She suddenly snapped, almost sounding angry with him. Where did the come from? "Fine, Sergeant Benson. But if you wanna know about Brian, just ask. He's fine. And if you want my opinion, you two are better off without each other."

"I don't want your opinion." This time, she almost gulped down the beverage and immediately looked like she regretted it, her nose crinkling at the taste. She refused to look at him.

Jesus, he must have guessed wrong. One minute he thought they were having a nice time, she was flirting and the next she tried to bite his head off. He chose to remain silent at her comment. Better this time to say nothing than fuck up again.

She continued to glare at the bar, her nail angrily clawing at the chipping varish. He took the opportunity to study her, really look at her. The delicate curve of her nose, the one piece of hair that fell stubbornly onto her face. The way her neck sloped down to her collarbones, then disappeared beneath her black shirt.

"I can see you, you know." She still hadn't moved.

Christ, he was caught. This was no where near going as planned. There wasn't really a plan but when he suddenly sprung on her the idea of a drink, he sure as hell didn't expect this. It was like navigating land mines.

He turned away quickly to focus on something else. The dirty mirror behind the bar. The various holiday cards and worn out menus crudely taped to it. Anything not to look at her and piss her off again.

"But I didn't say to stop." The soft growl of a whisper came from his right.

Tucker sighed. "You are a complicated woman, Olivia Benson."

"That I am." He could finally hear a hint of amusement in her voice.

This playful banter he could do. "Good thing I like a challenge"

Shit, she could feel her cheeks flush. And as much as she would like to attribute it solely to the bourbon, she knew otherwise. His words had warmed her face. And other places too. Places she had thought about for years. She unknowingly crossed her legs in front of her.

She knew was venturing into dangerous, uncharted waters. Perhaps that's where her unexpected outburst came from. Problem was, she was attracted to the danger, thrived on it.

"You tried to have me arrested. More than once." Her drink landed on the bar with a thud. Good one, Liv. Flirt by calling him an asshole, that will work. It really had been too long since she had done the bar scene, this flirting thing. She wasn't even sure anymore how this was suppose to flow, but she knew enough to know acting like a bitch one minute and a saint the next wouldn't take her far. With Brian, it has been easy. They'd seen each other naked. She had him hook, line and sinker without so much as saying a word.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that. It's just…It's the job." Tucker's mouth drew into a hard line. He was still focused straight in front of him, but Olivia could tell he wasn't pleased with her topic of conversation.

She rested her hand lightly on his forearm. "It's ancient history. I, I shouldn't have said anything." She could swear she saw the slightest flinch in his jaw as she did so. Her stomach twisted and she tried to pull away. His hand grabbed her wrist before she could detach from him. Neither moved.

Fuck, they were bad at this. Both flirted like teenagers on a first date. Nervous to say the wrong thing, not willing to make a definitive move. his hand lingered at the skin at her wrist before tracing its way up her arm, over her jacket. She watched him skim over the material like he was waiting for her to crumble beneath his fingertips.

A sharp whistle came from his left, causing Olivia to immediately pull her hand away away, eyes wide. Her head snapped to the right to see his IAB squad gawking at them. Crimson rose to her cheeks as she quickly scanned the crowd. She hadn't seen Brian since the exchange of "I love you's." He even cleared out his stuff from the apartment while she was at work, just to avoid her. She didn't think Tucker was callous enough to make a move while he was standing there watching. But hell, maybe that was in plan all along; even with Tucker and Brian working together in IAB, she wasn't sure they completed trusted each other, or even got along.

"He's not here." Tucker his warm breath whispered into her ear, knowing exactly why she was beginning to panic. "Come on, let's go outside and talk." He tugged at her elbow and she followed suit, letting out a sigh of relief that Brian wasn't there to witness the exchange.

The bitter cold winter air immediately seeped through her coat as they stepped through the doorway and just as quickly, Tucker's arm snaked around her shoulders, crushing her into his side for warmth. He guided her to the nearby building, further from the crowd mingling and smoking outside the bar.

She instantly wanted to protest his close proximity, but her desire to stay warm won out and she stayed nudged under his arm as they leaned back onto the neighboring brick wall.

The minutes ticked up as they stood in silence, her hands in her coat pockets, and his still around her shoulder.

It wasn't until his hand began to trace slow circles along her arm, that she brushed him off of her.

"Tucker, what are we doing here?" Her head landed back against the brick with a thud.

"Olivia," he swallowed slowly. He was shit with words. "This isn't…I'm not who I used to be. "

She'd heard that before. Hell, she's said that before. And look where it got her. Alone in an apartment meant for two, with nothing but some silicon and batteries to keep her warm at night. He tugged her toward him until she faced him head on. He was unwavering in his gaze at her. His blue eyes pleaded with her to hear him out.

"I know. And I'm…" she almost chuckled that she was saying it again, "I'm not who I used to be either Tucker." She finished with his name in a whisper.

"I've heard your stories. More personally then I ever expected to. Then I ever deserved to." Even more, she knew Tucker knew every detail but she chose to ignore the fact that the man who once arrested her, also knew every vile thing that beast said and did to her. He had a front row seat for every emotional and physical pain she endured. Twice.

Waves of emotion came crashing back to her at his words. Although her physicals wounds had healed into scars, the emotional ones were still freshly scabbed. Scabs that she mentally picked at from time to time before realizing she was left bleeding and in pain once again.

She opened her mouth to protest before he said anymore. Better to stop him now before he realized she was still very capable of having an emotional breakdown in the middle of a very public arena.

He started to signal her to stop. This was something he had wanted to say for a while and he was finally mustering up the courage.

"My point is, despite all the hardships you've been through, that I've put you through, you aren't like other women, Benson. There is this fortitude within you. I don't know where it comes from and I don't think I've ever seen it before. But in the last sixteen years, you've not only become one hell of a cop, but one hell of a woman. And I know this isn't a time or the place for this. But, fuck, with everything going on with Amaro too, I just thought you needed to hear it. You sometimes might not feel like it, but you've got me in your corner."

The beginnings of tears pricked her eyes and she whipped her head away; she wasn't about to cry out here. And definitely not in front of him. Her hands shoved deeper into her coat pockets and she rocked back on her heels, regaining her composure before looking him in the eye.

"Thank you. Thank you for that. And for tonight. I needed it." The lopsided smile she displayed gave the hint of her dimples, drawing his eyes immediately to her lips.

He slid a step closer to her, now there was no mistaking his invasion of her personal space.

"Anytime Benson." The words sounded lodged in the back of his throat, full of gravel and a hint of arousal.

In seconds, his lips were millimeters away from making contact with hers and she wasn't sure if it was him that had moved closer or her. But now she could feel his breath hitting her face and the proximity was starting to make her dizzy. She couldn't fight the slow burning arousal as her eyelids flutter closed. She felt him hook a finger under her chin, guiding her the final distance to his lips.

This kiss was soft, testing. It was learning the movement of her lips and the swipe of his tongue outlining her mouth, begging for entrance. It was realizing that she kissed like she had secrets beneath her lips. She was calculated, precise, with layers and layers of locked doors to burst through before she truly came undone for anyone. Her fingers reached up the clutch the lapels of his jacket when his tongue slipped into her mouth and _God,_ she was liquid velvet. By the time his hand had moved to the back of her head to deepen the kiss, she had pulled back from him. He almost growled at the loss of contact. It was just long enough to leave him wanting, begging for more.

He instantly knew this couldn't be the last time he saw this side of Olivia Benson. The flush of her cheeks was evident, her lips slightingly wet with a mix of their saliva. She almost looked shy at the realization that she had kissed him back.

"Let me take you out to dinner."

She stiffened then, her shoulders straightened. The short, staccato breaths he had seen only seconds earlier were replaced by deep, slow breathing. Each one taking her further and further from him. She was quickly falling back into work mode and he instantly wanted to take back what he had said. Her fingers untangled from his collar to rest lightly on his chest and she took a step back, her eyes downcast, focused on the small buttons of his dress shirt.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Goodnight Lieutenant Tucker."

She turned and walked away before he could even open his mouth to respond.


End file.
